Tonsil cancer t3n2m0

Well my partner finished his radiotherapy treatment yesterday and today was meant to be his last chemo treatment. However he has had pain in his leg for last couple of days. They scanned him before starting the treatment this morning and found it was a dvt. He is already really poorly with the treatment. Lost so much weight and generally unwell. This is just so hard to take. I've also read that people who develop blood clots have a lower survival rate and the cancer has possibly spread. I'm terrified of losing another man I love so much

Hi Shell

I'm so sorry to hear your partner has developed a DVT.  I don't think it's that uncommon in people with cancer and going through treatment which may be why they decided to scan him given his symptoms.

The weight loss and feeling unwell goes with the territory of treatment for head and neck cancer unfortunately.  The fact he's missed his last chemo session shouldn't be too much of a concern.  The main treatments are surgery and rt, the chemo makes up a very small percentage - more of a mop up operation - and several people on the forum have not completed the chemo sessions for varying reasons.

I'm not sure where you read that people who develop blood clots have a lower survival rate.  Please remember that google isn't always a great place for information and can be misleading.  You're much better off having a word with your team at the hospital.

It's great that your partner has now completed his rt.  This is the stage where most people feel at their absolute worse but in 2 to 3 weeks time the side effects of treatment should begin to wear off and your partner should very slowly begin to feel slightly better. 

Blood clots are generally very treatable, even with cancer.

All the very best to you both and do get in touch with your partners team if you have any concerns.

Linda x

Thank you. I'm just fearing the worst. Being through this once before. He just looks so poorly. I'm just so scared of going through this all again. The good thing is he has completed his art. And he has actually physically drank a cup of tea today. 

Small step but feels good to watch xx

That's quite understandable - I could read the fear in your words.

Yes, a cup of tea is a good step.  I'm sure you realise that recovery from his treatment will be slow and not always on a predictable upward trajectory but take heart with those small steps and one day at a time.

Take care.

Linda x

Hi The treatment that he has gone through is brutal. Please don’t read too much into anything without trying to speak to his team. I didn’t have my last chemo and 31 month later I’m still here. The chemo is only a top up to the radiotherapy missing one session in the scheme of things is nothing. If he’s managed a cup of tea he’s fine well. The first few weeks after treatment are tough he may well get worse before he turns a corner  many of us on here found that to be true   
Hazel 

Shell71 said:

I've also read that people who develop blood clots have a lower survival rate and the cancer has possibly spread. I'm terrified of losing another man I love so much

Hi Shell

Can I put your mind at rest on this one. SCC of the mouth is not one of those cancers that cause blot clots so you can put that away right now. Cisplatin can cause blood clots which is why they checked his symptoms so quickly and stopped his chemo.

Treatment failure is rare....very rare,  so put that away too.

Everybody else is right....he will get better slowly one day at a time, some days a step back but he will get there.

Hang on 

Best wishes

Thank you everyone for reassuring me. I'm just finding it really hard at the minute. Just seems like anything that can go wrong is going wrong. I will try to keep positive x

No worries Shell.  It's tough when you're bombarded with one thing after another so it can be helpful to gain a different perspective.

Take care now.

Linda x